Ugandans Kill Migrating Storks In Desperation For Food

Sumaira FH Published April 24, 2025 | 01:00 PM

Ngenge, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Apr, 2025) Desperate Ugandans are using poison to kill thousands of migrating white storks and other protected birds because they have so few sources of food.

In Ayoreri, a village on the Kenyan border, Sam Chekwoi, 42, said unpredictable rains and droughts have made it increasingly hard to feed his two wives and 11 children.

"I used to farm but the sun would destroy my food crops. That is when I decided to start catching those birds to provide food for my children and myself," he said.

He showed AFP how locals hunt their prey.

First they catch a mouse and kill it, then pour a mixture of alcohol and rat poison into its mouth and leave it in the field for a bird to spot.

The birds swoop down and quickly feel the impact of the poison. They try to fly away but cannot get very far and the villagers chase them down to finish the kill.

"When the birds eat the trap, they get weak, we catch them, kill them, and then eat them," said Chekwoi.

He estimates he has eaten upwards of 300 storks since moving to the area in 2016.

"If there was an alternative, I would do it," said Chekwoi.

The activity risks heavy fines but locals feel they have no choice.